(what is) Film
(what is) Film is an animated TV series created by Frank Novice, Lilly Laney and Brian Grispon. The show aired on FOX for one season and was canceled, leaving one episode unaired.. Premise The series centers around Joel Yezna, a sheltered man who travels to Hollywood after his controlling parents passed away. Having never seen anything resembling a movie or a TV show (let alone a TV set), he decides to learn more about it, only to get accidentally embroiled in a movie deal with Alan Smith, who wants Joel to make a movie based on his past life. Joel is aided by his old best friend Aaron, his neighbors Vic and Greg and Cami, a young girl who admires Joel due to him getting to live at home for all his life. During his travels, he frequently encounters random celebrities who help him get ahead in his script. Characters Joel Yezna (Michael Richards): A man who has spent a majority of his life at home. His parents forbade him from watching television and forced him to study. Being completely naive to the world of cinema, he's often the subject of ridicule by movie buffs. Due to him being forced to study his whole life, Joel is very intelligent, and he is usually the one who helps his friends get out of any predicament. Allan Smith (Elliot Gould): A disgruntled movie producer who hires Joel out of desperation. Alan was once well respected, but due to him getting tied to various flops, he was blackballed and is forced to work under an assumed name. In spite of his irritable nature, Alan frequently spends time with Joel and his friends. He frequently acts as a voice of reason and is quick to point out flaws in whatever's happening, but he's frequently ignored. Alan's name is a pun on Alan Smithee, a pseudonym created by directors who wish to disown films they're tied to. Aaron Helmond (Hank Azaria): Joel's estranged best friend. Ryan used to sneak into Joel's house and the two frequently read comic books together. Ryan is more spontaneous than the others, and he frequently attempts to provide more action in his friends' lives, namely when it comes to Joel's movie. He's usually responsible for whatever crazy ideas the gang partakes in and he offers unethical solutions to their problems. Victor Mott and Jaruis Blanc (Glen Howerton and Darius McCrary): Joel's neighbors. The two are close friends who infrequently hang out with Joel and his friends and often try to provide input for Joel's film. Their sexuality is frequently questioned throughout the series, with them making odd remarks to questions based around their friendship. Brian Grispon based these characters on two individuals he saw during his 40th birthday. Cami Polk (Kristen Schaal): A 16 year old, socially inept girl who admires Joel. Her parents frequently forced her out of her home so she could make friends. She heard about Joel by chance and liked how he was actually forced to stay indoors. In spite of getting rejected by Joel, Cami frequently tries to help Joel to get his approval. Cancelation In spite of maintaining decent ratings, numerous drawbacks (such as the show's timeslot and budget issues) caused the show to get canceled by FOX. One episode remains unaired. Episodes 1: Test 2: What's the Buzz?: Aaron tries to convince Joel to make a movie on a public domain superhero character, but they clash over how to make the movie. Cameo: Ryan Reynolds 3: Energy Shift: Joel relies on energy drinks to get through the day, and the addiction spreads to his friends. Cameo: Michael Jordan 4: The TV: Cami accidentally destroys her father's (Stephen Collins) valued widescreen TV and Joel takes the blame for her. Cameo: Terry Crews 5: What's your Status?: Joel and his friends investigate the sexuality of his neighbors Vic and Jaruis. Cameo: Neil Patrick Harris 6: How to Conquer Writers Block within a Standard Runing Time: Joel attempts to get over his writers block, and Allan decides to film it. Cameo: Jimmy Fallon 7: A Day with Joel: Cami decides to spend the day with Joel, but Joel tries to stay away from her. Cameo: Dwayne Johnson 8: The Guy of the Family: Cami wants to convince Seth MacFarlane to make an episode where Brian and Quagmire reconcile, but her means of convincing him go too far. Cameo: Seth MacFarlane 9: Let's Be Reasonable: Joel becomes ostracized by the community after he brings up a negative opinion regarding Jack Nicholson, and he decides to find the man in order to get the latter's approval. Cameo: Jack Nicholson 10: A Lesson in Hatred: Allan realizes that a majority of his detractors are merely hating him because it's popular to do so. He decides to communicate with equally hated celebrities to figure out how they could continue in spite of their poor reception. Cameos: Chad Kroeger, Hayden Christensen and Justin Chatwin 11: Talk is...: Joel appears on a talk show, and he talks about his troubling childhood. The executives attempt to censor him in order to prevent a drop in ratings. Cameo: Conan O' Brien 12: Nu Man: Joel considers including nu metal bands in his movie, and he falls victim to threats from metal heads. Cameo: Jonathan Davis 13: Deja Vu: A Reference You Don't Want to Get: The gang come across a copy of a new film and are appalled at how terrible it is. They go on a cross country road trip to destroy it. Cameo: Eric Idle 14: Whatever Happened to Rob Schniderman?: A blacklisted comedian confides with Allan, who agrees to put him in Joel's project. However, he soon regrets the decision when he figures out why the comedian was blacklisted in the first place. Cameos: Pauly Shore, Adam Sandler, David Chapelle, Kat Williams 15: Two Wrongs Don't Make a CopyRight: Joel releases a teaser for his film, but it is brought down by various copyright violations, which Joel attempts to fight. This episode hasn't been aired.